With no new head coaches in the SEC, dialogue will shift to the coordinator carousel. There are 11 new coordinators.

Not all are new in the sense that they are conference newcomers or even working for their current school for the first time. Take Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, for example. The Vols pried him away from Georgia. This is Chaney’s second stint at Tennessee, and he also was Arkansas’ coordinator.

Expect Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and Georgia coach Kirby Smart to field questions about Chaney leaving Georgia for an SEC East rival.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart(Photo: Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports)

Who will challenge the status quo?

Alabama won the SEC Championship last year for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Georgia has emerged as a mini-Alabama, winning the SEC East in consecutive seasons.

Is anyone ready to challenge the status quo? Probably not, but speculating about the possibility is more fun than expecting more than the same. Expect LSU to be a trendy sleeper pick.

It’s a far-reaching issue, but, mostly, fans want to know whether EA Sports’ NCAA Football will make a return. The video game’s last release was in 2013. Its discontinuation is tied to the name, image and likeness issue.

Allowing college athletes to receive payment for use of their name, image and likeness would allow EA Sports to relaunch its video game without threat of lawsuit by reaching agreements with athletes.

Former head coaches join Mississippi

Among the more interesting coordinator hires was Mississippi tapping Rich Rodriguez as offensive coordinator. He was formerly the head coach at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona.

Rebels coach Matt Luke also hired Mike MacIntyre as his defensive coordinator. MacIntyre was a head coach at San Jose State and Colorado.

The hires give Ole Miss one of the more interesting coaching staffs in the SEC.

Nick Saban raised eyebrows at SEC Media Days two years ago by calling Alabama’s runner-up finish a failure and vowing that his team “won’t waste a failure.”

The Crimson Tide responded by winning the next national championship. However, they followed with another runner-up finish last season.

So, what does Saban have in store this year?

Quarterback competitions

Quarterback battles are a prime talking point during SEC Media Days. Auburn has perhaps the most intriguing quarterback competition between redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood and five-star freshman Bo Nix. If a legit quarterback emerges, Auburn can contend for the SEC West. If not, expect coach Gus Malzahn to endure another season of criticism.

Another interesting battle will occur at Vanderbilt, which could have a loaded offense if it finds a suitable replacement for Kyle Shurmur. Ball State graduate transfer Riley Neal and junior Deuce Wallace are the favorites among four scholarship quarterbacks.

Florida’s offseason turmoil

Dan Mullen should be basking in the glory of winning 10 games in his first season at Florida after inheriting a team that won four games the year before. Instead, he’ll have to field questions about the discipline of his program after an offseason marred by arrests, accusations and transfers.

Missouri’s postseason ban

Missouri projects as a top team in the SEC East. However, the Tigers are ineligible for the SEC Championship or a bowl game due to a one-year postseason ban, among other penalties, issued by the NCAA for academic fraud.

Missouri is appealing the decision. It doesn’t dispute that fraud occurred in multiple athletic programs but is arguing the NCAA punishment was too extreme, given that MU cooperated with the investigation.

Missouri’s softball and baseball teams were eligible for the postseason because the appeal was ongoing. Football remains in limbo as it waits to hear whether the postseason ban will be upheld, overturned or whether the appeal will drag on.

Playoff expansion

Before there was a playoff, the possibility of one was a never-ending offseason debate. Now that the playoff is entering its sixth season, talk of playoff expansion is a prime subject of offseason banter.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is on record saying a four-team playoff works. Saban, who has so much clout he might as well be co-commissioner, also does not desire playoff expansion. With that in mind, don’t expect SEC coaches to stump for change.